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Short Takes Blog
Short Takes - CableCARD Media Center PCs due in 2006
- Microsoft Expects Solid Debut for Xbox 360
- Microsoft Still Loves HD-DVD
- R2 on Track for this Year
- XP Starter Edition Heads to Two New Markets
- Firefox 1.5 Will Ship Later this Month
- Sony Recalls Copy Protected Audio CDs
- US Keeps Control of the Internet
- Apple Getting Ready to Cave to Record Industry on iTunes Pricing
==== Short Takes Blog ==== by Paul Thurrott, [email protected]
This week is an interesting exercise in news before it happens. Well, sort of. If everything went well, I should be in Paris, France, by the time you read this. Or, if you read this on Monday, I should be home again. That's right, we're going for the weekend. My wife and I are experimenting with the limits of short travel, and because flying nonstop to France (or England, Ireland, Belgium, or the Netherlands) from Boston doesn't take much longer than flying cross-country, we thought we'd see what we could do. In any event, because we're leaving (sorry: "left" for you reading this now) on Thursday, I had to submit Friday's WinInfo Short Takes a day early. I'm hoping nothing important happens while I'm gone--such as the Windows Vista November CTP.
Why Paris, you ask? No, it's not (only) because I want to burn a few cars, although my wife and I were surprised by how many people asked us this week whether we were still going despite the riots. Overall, France is pretty much our favorite country to visit (though that's a tough call because most of Europe is worth dreaming about), and we're planning to go back early and often in the year ahead. In fact, if we could swing a home swap next summer with someone in France, we'd do it. We're looking into that now.
A few weeks ago, I discussed some computer nostalgia stuff and got a bunch of nice email messages. A quick update: Several hundred dollars on eBay later, I've reacquainted myself with the Amiga and some other long-forgotten computers, and it's funny to see what's changed and what hasn't in the years since Commodore roamed the earth. One thing I found rather humorous: The Amiga's right mouse button was used specifically for bringing up application and system menus (which were otherwise hidden), but there's no concept of right-clicking individual items and getting a context-sensitive menu, which is so common today. I'll keep playing around. Literally. One of the best things about the Amiga is the wealth of platform games. You just don't see that on the PC.
==== Short Takes ==== An often-irreverent look at some of the week's other stories
by Paul Thurrott, [email protected]
CableCARD Media Center PCs due in 2006
By late 2006, Microsoft says, PC makers will be shipping Media Center PCs with integrated CableCARD hardware, which will let these devices natively control digital cable systems, with no need for a separate set-top box. Finally, you say. That's for sure: Today's system of "IR blasting" a set-top box is slow, prone to error, and, let's face it, lame. But right now it's your only option because cable companies and other TV operators all have their own way of doing things. With a CableCARD-based system, a next-generation Media Center PC will allegedly be all you need. I can't wait.
Microsoft Expects Solid Debut for Xbox 360
With anticipation building for next week's launch of the Xbox 360, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer this week noted that he expects the system to take off in a big way. "We have very strong momentum, particularly in the northern parts of Europe, \[the\] United States, \[and\] Australia," he said. "I know for sure, 100 percent, we will do much better in Japan than we did with Xbox 1." The original Xbox languished in Japan because it was humongous and because most Japanese game developers shunned the system in favor of the PlayStation 2 and GameCube. That won't be a concern this time around, and because most major Japanese game makers have jumped on board the more svelte-looking Xbox 360, it should do pretty well in Japan. That and the fact that it will have no competition for at least 6 months, I guess.
Microsoft Still Loves HD-DVD
And speaking of Microsoft and Japanese technology, Ballmer this week also reaffirmed the software giant's bizarre love affair with HD-DVD, the lesser of the two competing next-generation DVD standards. So why does Microsoft favor HD-DVD over Blu-ray, despite the fact that Blu-ray will allow for much larger amounts of storage? "We have chosen to support HD-DVD for a number of reasons, including the way and the effectiveness with which we can see it integrating with the PC," Ballmer said. "We think it has some real advantages and that's why we have been working very actively with Toshiba and other members of the DVD forum in order to promote this concept." I'm sure that's the reason. It couldn't be because Sony, which makes the PlayStation series of video game systems, is a cocreator of Blu-ray and will support that format in its upcoming PlayStation 3 gaming console. Otherwise, Microsoft would just look petty.
R2 on Track for this Year
Microsoft IT Forum 2005 came and went this week in Barcelona, Spain, and many onlookers were expecting Microsoft to release Windows Server 2003 R2 at the show. But although that never happened, fear not: Microsoft says it is still on track to ship R2 by the end of the year as promised. Delays to R2, which is a relatively minor update to Windows 2003, would throw the company's entire server product release schedule out of whack because the schedule hinges on alternating major and minor releases every 2 years, and it's already been 2 and a half years since Windows 2003 first shipped. I can't imagine what the company would have to cut out to avoid further delays, but rather than dwell on the negative (cough: Terminal Services; cough: network quarantine), I'll just note that the R2 Release Candidate 2 (RC2) that Microsoft shipped earlier this month is really solid and leave it at that. Seriously, it's solid.
XP Starter Edition Heads to Two New Markets
This week, Microsoft shipped two new versions of its entry-level Windows XP Starter Edition, which is aimed at emerging markets full of people yet to experience Microsoft's full-court marketing press. The new versions are aimed at the disadvantaged in Egypt and Turkey, and both use the Arabic language. As of today, there are nine language versions of XP Starter Edition available in 32 countries. That's quite an accomplishment for what is basically a stripped-down OS designed to compete with free systems based on Linux.
Firefox 1.5 Will Ship Later this Month
As someone who's been burned occasionally by sources, I guess I can sympathize, but rumors this week about an impending release of Firefox 1.5 were indeed false. Instead, expect the next major version of Mozilla's Web browser to appear by the end of the month. My source for this information? The Mozilla Foundation. Sometimes you have to get it right from the tap.
Sony Recalls Copy Protected Audio CDs
After weeks of criticism and a new spate of electronic attacks caused by its inaction, Sony is taking the rare step of recalling the controversial audio CDs it shipped with a new kind of rootkit-based copy protection. The news comes as yet another blow to Sony's reputation, which has suffered in recent years as sales and revenues have plummeted. Sony hasn't yet revealed how many discs it will need to recall, but it will surely be in the millions. For a company that should be leading the digital media revolution, Sony is suddenly pulling a Commodore. Or, for Happy Days fans, it just jumped the shark. Either way, it's not a compliment.
US Keeps Control of the Internet
One day before the start of the UN Internet Summit in Tunisia this week, the United States reached a late-hour agreement to retain control of, well, the Internet. More specifically, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), which answers to the US government, will continue managing the Internet's domain name and address systems, which controls how Web browsers and other Internet applications interact with Internet-based servers around the world. The reason this news is notable is that numerous nations have expressed concerns about the US control of this technology and had been lobbying for it to be moved to an international organization. It's almost like people don't trust us for some reason.
Apple Getting Ready to Cave to Record Industry on iTunes Pricing
According to EMI Music CEO Alain Levy, Apple Computer is getting ready to cave to record-industry bigwigs over the single-price issue for online music. Today, all music sold via the iTunes Music Store is 99 cents, regardless of its age or popularity. The record industry would like variable pricing because its older and less popular products are typically sold for less, whereas its most popular products could be sold for more. Apple has resisted the complexity of variable pricing so far, but with Apple's record-industry contracts running out early next year, the company will need to suck it up if it wants to keep selling music. We are having discussions which make us believe \[variable pricing on iTunes\] will happen in the next 12 months," Levy said this week. "There is a common understanding that we will have to come to a variable pricing structure. The issue is when. There is a case for superstars to have a higher price." Not to be a jerk about it, but given Apple's historically high prices for computing hardware, I'm sure that's one company that can appreciate charging more for a better product.
==== Events and Resources ====
(A complete Web and live events directory brought to you by Windows IT Pro: http://www.windowsitpro.com/events )
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===============
- Microsoft Expects Solid Debut for Xbox 360
- Microsoft Still Loves HD-DVD
- R2 on Track for this Year
- XP Starter Edition Heads to Two New Markets
- Firefox 1.5 Will Ship Later this Month
- Sony Recalls Copy Protected Audio CDs
- US Keeps Control of the Internet
- Apple Getting Ready to Cave to Record Industry on iTunes Pricing
by Paul Thurrott, [email protected]
By late 2006, Microsoft says, PC makers will be shipping Media Center PCs with integrated CableCARD hardware, which will let these devices natively control digital cable systems, with no need for a separate set-top box. Finally, you say. That's for sure: Today's system of "IR blasting" a set-top box is slow, prone to error, and, let's face it, lame. But right now it's your only option because cable companies and other TV operators all have their own way of doing things. With a CableCARD-based system, a next-generation Media Center PC will allegedly be all you need. I can't wait.
With anticipation building for next week's launch of the Xbox 360, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer this week noted that he expects the system to take off in a big way. "We have very strong momentum, particularly in the northern parts of Europe, \[the\] United States, \[and\] Australia," he said. "I know for sure, 100 percent, we will do much better in Japan than we did with Xbox 1." The original Xbox languished in Japan because it was humongous and because most Japanese game developers shunned the system in favor of the PlayStation 2 and GameCube. That won't be a concern this time around, and because most major Japanese game makers have jumped on board the more svelte-looking Xbox 360, it should do pretty well in Japan. That and the fact that it will have no competition for at least 6 months, I guess.
And speaking of Microsoft and Japanese technology, Ballmer this week also reaffirmed the software giant's bizarre love affair with HD-DVD, the lesser of the two competing next-generation DVD standards. So why does Microsoft favor HD-DVD over Blu-ray, despite the fact that Blu-ray will allow for much larger amounts of storage? "We have chosen to support HD-DVD for a number of reasons, including the way and the effectiveness with which we can see it integrating with the PC," Ballmer said. "We think it has some real advantages and that's why we have been working very actively with Toshiba and other members of the DVD forum in order to promote this concept." I'm sure that's the reason. It couldn't be because Sony, which makes the PlayStation series of video game systems, is a cocreator of Blu-ray and will support that format in its upcoming PlayStation 3 gaming console. Otherwise, Microsoft would just look petty.
Microsoft IT Forum 2005 came and went this week in Barcelona, Spain, and many onlookers were expecting Microsoft to release Windows Server 2003 R2 at the show. But although that never happened, fear not: Microsoft says it is still on track to ship R2 by the end of the year as promised. Delays to R2, which is a relatively minor update to Windows 2003, would throw the company's entire server product release schedule out of whack because the schedule hinges on alternating major and minor releases every 2 years, and it's already been 2 and a half years since Windows 2003 first shipped. I can't imagine what the company would have to cut out to avoid further delays, but rather than dwell on the negative (cough: Terminal Services; cough: network quarantine), I'll just note that the R2 Release Candidate 2 (RC2) that Microsoft shipped earlier this month is really solid and leave it at that. Seriously, it's solid.
This week, Microsoft shipped two new versions of its entry-level Windows XP Starter Edition, which is aimed at emerging markets full of people yet to experience Microsoft's full-court marketing press. The new versions are aimed at the disadvantaged in Egypt and Turkey, and both use the Arabic language. As of today, there are nine language versions of XP Starter Edition available in 32 countries. That's quite an accomplishment for what is basically a stripped-down OS designed to compete with free systems based on Linux.
As someone who's been burned occasionally by sources, I guess I can sympathize, but rumors this week about an impending release of Firefox 1.5 were indeed false. Instead, expect the next major version of Mozilla's Web browser to appear by the end of the month. My source for this information? The Mozilla Foundation. Sometimes you have to get it right from the tap.
After weeks of criticism and a new spate of electronic attacks caused by its inaction, Sony is taking the rare step of recalling the controversial audio CDs it shipped with a new kind of rootkit-based copy protection. The news comes as yet another blow to Sony's reputation, which has suffered in recent years as sales and revenues have plummeted. Sony hasn't yet revealed how many discs it will need to recall, but it will surely be in the millions. For a company that should be leading the digital media revolution, Sony is suddenly pulling a Commodore. Or, for Happy Days fans, it just jumped the shark. Either way, it's not a compliment.
One day before the start of the UN Internet Summit in Tunisia this week, the United States reached a late-hour agreement to retain control of, well, the Internet. More specifically, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), which answers to the US government, will continue managing the Internet's domain name and address systems, which controls how Web browsers and other Internet applications interact with Internet-based servers around the world. The reason this news is notable is that numerous nations have expressed concerns about the US control of this technology and had been lobbying for it to be moved to an international organization. It's almost like people don't trust us for some reason.
According to EMI Music CEO Alain Levy, Apple Computer is getting ready to cave to record-industry bigwigs over the single-price issue for online music. Today, all music sold via the iTunes Music Store is 99 cents, regardless of its age or popularity. The record industry would like variable pricing because its older and less popular products are typically sold for less, whereas its most popular products could be sold for more. Apple has resisted the complexity of variable pricing so far, but with Apple's record-industry contracts running out early next year, the company will need to suck it up if it wants to keep selling music. We are having discussions which make us believe \[variable pricing on iTunes\] will happen in the next 12 months," Levy said this week. "There is a common understanding that we will have to come to a variable pricing structure. The issue is when. There is a case for superstars to have a higher price." Not to be a jerk about it, but given Apple's historically high prices for computing hardware, I'm sure that's one company that can appreciate charging more for a better product.
(A complete Web and live events directory brought to you by Windows IT Pro: http://www.windowsitpro.com/events )
Your network users' negligent or inappropriate activity is often the entry point for Internet criminals to access your systems. In this free Web seminar, you'll learn how to effectively implement policy, user training, and technology to mitigate Internet risks. You will take away free tools to help you analyze threats and create Acceptable-Use Policies (AUPs).
Register now at http://www.windowsitpro.com/seminars/internetsecurity/index.cfm?code=1116emailannc
85% of businesses use IM to improve communication and reduce email usage. In this free white paper, learn how to protect your company and implement a managed IM security solution!
Download your free copy now at http://www.windowsitpro.com/go/whitepapers/postini/instantmessaging?code=1116emailannc ==== Announcements ====
You won't want to miss any of Windows IT Pro's upcoming fall issues! Subscribe now and discover the best ways to plan for Longhorn, the need-to-knows of VBScript, ways to make sense of SQL Server, the 10 Security Tools You Can't Live Without, Vista launch essentials, and much more. You'll also gain exclusive access to the entire Windows IT Pro online article database (more than 9,000 articles), and you'll save up to $30 off the full cover price. Click here:
https://store.pentontech.com/index.cfm?s=1&promocode=eu205bum
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